Accelerating 'Population Cliff'... November Births Drop to 19,800, Another Record Low

Statistics Korea Population Trends
Cumulative Births from January to November Last Year: 244,016... 11% Increase in November Deaths Due to Aging Population

[Sejong=Asia Economy Reporter Kwon Haeyoung] As the number of births decreases every year and the impact of COVID-19 overlaps, the number of births in November last year fell below 20,000, setting a record low for the same month. With births decreasing and deaths increasing, the population has naturally declined for 25 consecutive months since November 2019. The cumulative population decrease from January to November last year reached 41,876.

According to the 'November 2021 Population Trends' released by Statistics Korea on the 26th, the number of births in November last year was 19,800, down 1.3% from a year earlier. This is the lowest number for the same month since statistics on monthly births began in January 1981.

Accordingly, the cumulative number of births up to November last year was 244,016, down 3.4% from the same period the previous year. The annual number of births fell to the 200,000 range for the first time in 2020 from 302,676 in 2019, and it is certain to remain in the 200,000 range this year as well.

The crude birth rate, which is the number of births per 1,000 people, was 4.7%. The region with the highest crude birth rate was Sejong (8.7%), and the lowest was Jeonbuk (3.7%).

On the other hand, due to rapid aging, the number of deaths is increasing quickly. The number of deaths in November last year was 28,426, an 11% increase from a year earlier. This was the highest number for the same month on record. Accordingly, the cumulative number of deaths from January to November last year was 285,892, up 2.8% from the previous year. The crude death rate, which indicates the number of deaths per 100,000 people, was 6.7%.

As a result, the population naturally decreased by 8,626 in November last year, the largest decrease on record. The cumulative natural population decrease from January to November last year was also 41,876, an increase of 64.9% (16,490) compared to the same period a year earlier.

The problem is that with the number of marriages decreasing, it is difficult to reverse the population decline trend. The number of marriages in November last year was 17,088, down 6% from a year earlier, and the cumulative number of marriages from January to November was 172,748, down 9.7% from the same period last year. The crude marriage rate, which indicates the number of marriages per 1,000 people, was 4. The region with the highest crude marriage rate was Sejong (4.9), and the lowest was Daegu (3.2).

The number of divorces in November last year was 8,770, down 1.2% from a year earlier.